Love Is War
by PrincessandherWarrior
Summary: Yumi finds herself not able to focus in Lyoko when she upset Ulrich and he never showed, she searches for him to apologize and to get him to go to Lyoko. Both Yumi and Ulrich have feelings for each other but can't bring themselves to admit it to each other.
1. Chapter 1

**~Flashback ~**

After the bell rang, Yumi and William went to their usual spot where they would meet up with the gang, Yumi gracefully walked up to her group of best friends who she had known for five years now, She had a single piece of paper in her hand, she was unzipping her bag to put it away while William had bragged about how great of a score the dark haired girl got. Yumi stood shyly, she didn't think of it as a big deal.

Odd couldn't believe this and snatched it quickly before she even had the chance to slip it inside, he held it away from her as she tried desperately to get it away from Odd, She knew he was going to read it and she didn't want that. He held it in his hand and coughed getting ready to read the writing. "Let's read this baby and see how great it is." Odd chimes.

"Odd, Don't do that." Yumi replies she had continued to reachout for the paper that he held in his small hands but he moved away and moved it out of her grasp still and so he began reading it and there was nothing Yumi could do at this point.

Yumi couldn't help to glance over at Ulrich who knew even though Ishe had used anonymous names, he still knew it was about him, the look on his face broke Yumi's heart. Odd eyed the group of friends and stopped when the others had given him the signal, he gave it back to her but it was too late, the damage was done. Ulrich was upset. He even bailed on going to Lyoko, he had told me that it would be best if the two of us didn't see each other and stormed off.

**~End of Flashback~**

Yumi quicklywondered around Kadic in search for Ulrich Stern, who never showed to Lyoko after he heard the little of her short story that had called him unreliable and immature and only cared about himself. Yumi knew deep down it was wrong to write about him like that, but at the time she was was pissed with him, he had stood her up when she had asked for his help for something important to her. Thinking of Ulrich on Lyoko, Yumi couldn't focus on the mission so she surrendered to the monster getting herself killed. He was so stubborn he didn't see the good he only saw the negative things.

The determinded girl came across someone in the quad, A girl, Yumi walked up asked her if she had seen him, she had directed Yumi to his room he shared with Odd Della Robia. Yumi thanked her and stormed off to his dorm and knocked on his door softly.

Yumi waited leaning against the wall glancing at the names written in cursive on the door in black sharpie, she sighed fustrated and sad at the situation, Yumi already knew he wasn't going to answer the door.

"Stubborn..." Yumi whispered to herself.

"Ulrich, It's me, Yumi...You can be mad at me all you want but you can't take it out on our friends, they need you in Lyoko, It's not right to stand them up...Listen, It was only a stupid story, yes you may be childish and immature but that is at times...I was wrong to say you don't care about others, you do...You know no idea what I think about you, You never even saw the positive things I had wrote..." Yumi said through the door before walking away.

Ulrich sat on his bed after hearing the door, he slowly got up and stood leaning against the door, he didn't want to talk to anyone. The brown haired boy placed his ear against the cool door hearing Yumi speak, she was right about everything, I shouldn't have taken it to heart but it was hard hearing those things when it came from the girl you love. Thinking it through, Ulrich sighed and opened the door shutting it behind him and ran after Yumi.

Slowing his pace as he reached the forest, he stepped on a couple twigs but he didn't care. Ulrich found her in the forest where she walked towards the entrance to the factory, she was fed up with him and he knew it, he just hoped she would forgive him for being so stupid to throw away their friendship and everything they've been through.

Ulrich caught up to her pulling her back, she looked up at him, her dark brown eyes glossy, she had been crying.

"Yumi..." Ulrich said softly.

Yumi stood there facing him, her arms crossed over her chest. She left the dorms after figuring Ulrich wasn't going to budge, she cried all the way here. Yumi hated seeing him so hurt, She felt bad that he had to hear the things in that stupid paper especially from the loud mouth Odd.

"Ulrich, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings but it was just a story...And I guess instead of writing it and sharing it to a bunch of people in a classroom I should have come to you...I just don't understand how you could just say that you don't want to see me anymore, Do you really think that would have been the best for us both to destroy our friendship over some shitty paper...Could you really live your life without me?" Yumi asked, she felt herself tear up, all that was on her mind was the fact Ulrich never wanted to see her again, it tore at her. She couldn't believe he wanted her out of his life after everything they've been through. Yumi wiped the tears that fell with the sleeves of her black sleeve.

"Yumi, I'm the one who's sorry...I should have shown up this morning to help you, I don't know why I didn't...I shouldn't have acted the way I did, yes that paper hurt but it also opened my eyes to change myself. Yumi...your my best friend, I could never live without you, your my whole world." Ulrich said.

Yumi's heart sank a little when he added 'my best friend' she was happy but at the same time she was sad, she kind of wanted him to forget that, she knows she had kept telling him the 'I just want to be friends.' speech. But after they had shut the supercomputer down the first time, her feelings changed. Yumi kept it to herself.

They looked into each other's eyes silently as they stayed close together frozen in place.

Ulrich knew he would have ended my speech differently with an 'I love you' but he didn't want to make things awkward between them, Ulrich had to stop himself after he had remembered Yumi wanted to be just friends, Ulrich was stuck with the fact that he didn't want to be just friends because he was completely in love with her, he has since the first time they met back in the gym when they were partners for their fighting activites. Now he wanted to respected her wishes. They stood looking into each other's eyes silently lost in the moment, oh how Ulrich wanted to lean in to kiss her, he was close to getting the courage to do so but her phone rang.

She walked a couple steps away. Ulrich assumed it was Jeremy Belquia calling to ask where he was, He was left with his heart raced thinking how he was partically thankful for the interruption, from doing something stupid yet but all and all he wished to have kissed her.

Yumi turned to him. "We have to go, A ninja's attack the skid." She said and soon they were off to the factory.


	2. Chapter 2

After the Lyoko trip, Ulrich didn't have much time to talk to Yumi to make sure everything was okay between them. It was late and Ulrich, Aelita, Odd and Jeremy had to get back to the dorms as well as Yumi had to get home before her parents got worried.

Ulrich showed and changed, now he was laying on his bed staring up at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened today, the fight Yumi and I had, plus making up and almost kissing. "Ulrich, Are you okay?" Odd asked coming into the room, he had his towel around his neck as he plopped onto his own bed.

"I almost kissed her today." Ulrich blurted out.

"Sissi?!" Odd chimed shooting up from the bed and looking at me. "Were you drunk? Did Sissi drug you?" He was worried.

Ulrich shook his head no. "I almost kissed Yumi." He answered as Ulrich sat up in a criss cross position. He looked over at the shocked Odd who seemed intriqued at the confession.

"I know, I was only teasing. Why didn't you, I mean I can see the way she looks at you, she wants you." Odd said.

"I regret not kissing her, I really should have...Do you really think she would have wanted me to?" I questioned.

"For sure, Dude. As I've said she wants you." Odd answers.

Ulrich stayed quiet as his thoughts ran around in his brian, he thought about it hard, did she want him, Did she want the two of them to be more than friends after all this time. Ulrich took a deep breath and looked over to Odd to find he was asleep, his red back to him. Ulrich sighed and smiled to himsel as he laid back down and stared up at the ceiling, Yumi on the brain.

"I'm going to tell her tomorrow, I'm going to tell her I'm in love with her." He whispered to himself.

During class while she listened to the teacher talk about the test they were going to have Friday, Yumi couldn't help but take a peak at her phone after hearing it vibrate. She smiled seeing it was Ulrich texting her. He wanted to meet in the Gym.

Yumi texted him back with an Okay.

After the bell rang, Yumi quickly made her way out of the classroom before she could be stopped by any classmate or even the teacher. She directed herself towards the Gym, determinded to meet up with Ulrich. That determination went down the drain for she was pulled back all of a sudden. Yumi looked to see it had been William Dunbar, a quirky smile on his face lighting up his blue eyes.

"Hey Yumi, I'm sorry to bother you." He said.

"You're not bothering me...What's up, William?" Yumi questioned, she peered over seeing the Gym in her sights. William was interrupting but she didn't want to say anything to make him feel bad, it was her nature for being a nice girl at heart.

"I need your help studying for our test since I missed some of the lessons because I was sick." He answered.

Yumi really wanted to decline at this time but instead she came out with. "Sure, Let's go sit somewhere and I'll let you look over my notes."

Yumi sadly looked over to the Gym again before walking off with William, The two sat at the picnic table, she placed her bag on the table next to her taking out the notes, She gave them to William. While he prepared to write them down, Yumi took a second to herself to text Ulrich to tell him that she couldn't make it and something had come up.

"Yumi, Are you okay?" William asked bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How are you doing with the notes, Do you understand them at all?" Yumi asked. She rested my elbow on the table as she rested her head on one of her palms.

"Now that I've gotten them written, I will understand them by Friday., Thanks again, Yumi." He replied getting up grabbing his stuff and stuffing it into his bag

"Anytime." Yumi replied getting up and doing the same with her stuff, She was ready to walk off but she was caught off guard when he pulled her back. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" She questions.

He grabbed her hugging Yumi tightly, Yumi hugged him back. What she didn't expect when she pulled away from him was him placing his lips on hers, kissing her passionately.

After getting her text, Ulrich was disspaointed that she wasn't coming. He understood that she had things to do, After waiting he exited the Gym after getting a workout lecture from Jim. Ulrich decided to stroll around campus.

Ulrich turned the corner, coming across the picnic tables his eyes went wide seeing William and Yumi sharing a kiss.

Rage filled his beating heart and without thinking Ulrich stormed over just as they pulled away from each other, Ulrich angrily shoved William back away from Yumi and got between the two, Ulrich looked at Yumi.

"So this is why you cancelled on me, So you can go and make out with William?" Ulrich. snapped.

"Ulrich, you got it all wrong." Yumi said, her brown eyes glossed up.

"Yeah, If you would just calm down you would get the answers you want." William joined.

"Shut the fuck up, William." Ulrich snapped, he glared at him. Ulrich was about ready to punch him but Yumi pushed him away from William.

Yumi couldn't believe how he was acting. Yumi already knew it was wrong for William to do what he did but I didn't need Ulrich standing up and acting on it. Yumi stared at Ulrich before looking at William apologetically

"William could you go, I need to talk to Ulrich alone." She said.

"Fine, I'll go...I mean It will always be Ulrich..." William said walking off not even bothering to look back.

Yumi watched him leave and then turned to Ulrich and glared at him.

"See this is what I'm talking about, you never care to listen to the other side of things, you just react." Yumi says.

"I'm sorry, I can't change over night it takes time...If you want to be with William then that's your decision, I should go I'm sorry I bothered you..." Ulrich said, he was about to walk off when Yumi pulled him back.

"William kissed me, I never said I wanted to be with him. I'm sorry I couldn't make it, he needed my help...But I'm here now." Yumi answers hoping to calm him down.

Ulrich stared at her, he wanted to tell her, the words that were on the tip of his tongue but they never came so he held back once again. Now that it all sunk in, Ulrich felt stupid for acting the way he did but he couldn't help it, William always got under his skin, expecially when he was always around Yumi, always getting in the way of everything trying to be the better man.

"It was nothing...I need to go study." He said retreating walking off to the dorms.

Yumi stood there confused of how Ulrich just shut down, she watched him walk away, Yumi was fed up with Ulrich always hiding what he was going to say. She followed after him because she wasn't going to let him get away with this, Yumi knew he had something to get off his chest.

Yumi followed him up to the dorms and opened the door to his room and slamming it behind her. Yumi stood at the foot of the bed while he sat facing away from her. Yumi knew he wanted to avoid the conversation or the war.

"Come on, Ulrich. Spit it out..." Yumi ordered.

He just looked at her like he couldn't speak, She continued to stand and wait hoping he would get the courage to open up to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Ulrich stared at Yumi as she stared back at him, He felt frozen, His mouth wouldn't open and no words were going to come out. He realized thinking and actually acting on saying 'I love you.' were two different things, It wa really hard for a shy guy like him. Ulrich cleared his throat and stood up in front of her.

"I...I don't think William's right for you...I guess I feel protective over you because your my bestfriend and I care about you. What I wanted to tell you is...I want you to be happy and I think you're great." Ulrich said.

Ulrich knew he should have told her but he choked at those three little words, He instead just rambled on about something other than the fact that he loved her.

"Ulrich, I don't have feelings for William...He's just a friend..." Yumi said makng sure the brown haired male knew.

Ulrich felt she had a lot more to say but she didn't get the chance, her phone rang interrupting us.

Yumicouldn't believe it, she was about to tell Ulrich how he felt, she even opened her mouth to say it but her phone rang. She cursed at the timing but picked up her cell answering it and soon hanging up seconds later turning back to Ulrich.

"That was my mom...I have to go home. I guess I'll see you around." Yumi said. "Oh and just to be clear, Our conversation isn't over...So don't think your getting off that easy, Stern."

"Alright...See you later. Yumi." Ulrich replied.

He hugged her out of the blue so Yumi hugged him back, with a smile on her face. Yumi Iwalked away and slid out the dorm room and walked down the stairs leaving the campus to go home to her family. Yumi knew she had a lot to think about, She knew she needed to open up and tell Ulrich how she felt, Yumi felt Ulrich had more to say to beside 'That I'm great.'

Ulrich sighed relieved that the pressure was gone but he knew she would come back at keep pushing him to confess. He collapsed onto his bed, it had been a very long day for him but not a moment later did his best friend walk into the room. It was time for question time because knowing Odd he was a curious little man.

"Did you tell her, Did she accept it, Did you make out?" Odd asked question after question.

"No, All I said was that she was great...Before that I barked at her and William for kissing...I'm such a ass." Ulrich said bursting out full of embarassment for his actions, he felt horrible and that everything he does he fucks up, he even snapped at her.

"Ulrich, It's called jealousy...You need to figure out what you want to do before it tears you up." Odd replied.

"You're right." Ulrich agreed. Jealousy over took him, he knew that. Like the time he lost it when Yumi first introduced William Dunbar, Oh how Ulrich hated him because he right then and there that William Dunbar would be the definition of problem, moments later he had even followed the two and spied on the two working on their picture project. Jealousy always got the best of him.

Odd couldn't help but to feel that his friends are really stupid, Ulrich and Yumi are madly in love with each other and they can't see it. Odd can see it, Jeremy and Aelita can see it, even the fucking campus can see it. He wanted to scream at Ulrich and tell him to open his green eyes and see that Yumi really loves him and stop being so scared.

Of course Odd held his tongue though, instead he listened to his bestfriend vent out about how he unleashed his temper on William and Yumi once again. Odd thought he was bad with girls...He felt like he was going to explode. Odd was about to tell Ulrich but Aelita had knocked on the door and walked in.

"Hi Aelita." Odd greeted the pretty pink haired girl.

"Hi guys, I hope I'm not interrupting anything...I wanted to borrow a cd from you Odd." Aelita greets.

"You're not...Ulrich's just talking about his feelings for Yumi again..." Odd answers. He walked over to the dresser and opened it, I fished in the lower drawer finding the CD Aelita had been talking about, Odd shockingly found it right away. He jumped up and handed it to her. "One CD right here, Princess." He added with a bright smile.

"Thanks Odd, Ulrich...You should stop being so scared and just tell Yumi...For the record I'm sure she feels the same." Aelita says leaving the room.

Odd stood in complete shock that she had opened her mouth and spoke those words, He couldn't do it. He looked at where she once stood with amazment, Odd turned his attention back to Ulrich seeing what he would say.

"Aelita's right...I shouldn't be keeping my feelings bottled up, I'm not scared anymore...I'm going to Yumi's and I'm just going to get to the point and tell her that I love her." He said, I jumped up from the bed and put on my white shoes.

"Yes, You do that." Odd agrees. "Go get her romeo!" Odd adds basically pushing him out the door.

Ulrich opened the door and raced out of the dorm and his my way to Yumi's home. Along the way he saw a beautiful red rose, he picked it up and took it with.

Ulrich walked up the steps and to her front door, he took a long and deep breath as he stood there. Ulrich pressed the door bell and waited paitently waiting for someone to answer the door, hopefully Yumi.

Yumi answered the door.

Yumi saw Ulrich standing on the doorstep, she felt her heart pick up racing a mile a minute. She smiled.

"Hi Ulrich, What's up?" Yumi greets.

"What I told you was a lie...I was hiding what I really wanted to say..." Ulrich spoke quickly before he could clam up.

Yumi was confused, She knew he was lying before but she wondered what was so big that he had to cover. Yumi stood waiting for Ulrich to continue, she wondered if he would come clean.

Ulrich shuffled from foot to foot as he looked down at the ground and then up at her beautiful face. stood and shuffled from foot to foot, I looked at the ground and then up at her beautiful face. He smiled and felt his cheeks began to burn as blushing. Ulrich shyly pulled the rose he hid behind his back showing it to her, giving it to her.

"May I come in?" Ulrich asks not wanting to stand outside in the cold of the night.

"Of course, You're lucky my parents went out for a weekend vacation and Hiroki went to stay the night at Johnny's." Yumi answers, she opens the door wide letting Ulrich inside.

Ulrich with his hands in his pockets walked in just as Yumi shut the door, Yumi turns to Ulrich a smile on her face.

"I'm just going to come out and say it...I know we have our problems, I know we get very jealous easily to where it wrecks everything...I mean I know I do...But beyond all that I think we go well together, We can survive anything because we are strong alone but stronger together. Even after you had told me we need to be just friends...I still love you, Yumi. I have for a very long time and I can't fight my feelings for you..." Ulrich confessed leaving Yumi speechless.


End file.
